Where to look for short pieces of 8"-10" dia. thin-wall steel tube?

[winchman]

Got a fabrication project that requires some 8"-10" diameter steel tube with a wall thickness of 1/8"-3/16" in lengths from one to three feet. Any ideas where that's available?

None of the online places I've looked at have it, and a trip through the local scrap yard didn't turn up anything close.

I'd prefer using salvaged material, but cannot think of anything that would have something like that in it.

[ranger302]

Try a custom diesel exhaust shop. Think big rig. Good luck.

[sasquatch]

Wall thickness of 3/16,,, might want to talk to well drillers they have numerous cutoffs from well casings.

[metalmagpie]

Was also thinking well casings.

[sasquatch]

Well drillers was just a thought for short pieces, doubt if they reuse anything a foot long or so, but i know around here, a bit longer stuff they'll weld together,, drill casing is not cheap in lengths.

[najnielkp]

try an agricultural supply . the sizes you are asking about are common auger tube sizes .

[Duffy]

Try a fire sprinkler installer. They work with pipe down to schedule 10.

[Boucher]

Well casing in the 8 and 10 inch sizes is normally thicker. I have some 1/8 wall 8". 1/4" wall 10 inch is about the lightest that I have seen. Where are you located?

[wierdscience]

These guys make it-

http://www.tubularsteel.com/products_aswelded.asp

http://www.tubularsteel.com/productchart.asp?chart=14&chartheight=690

[oldtiffie]

Why not buy strip and have it rolled. Just weld the seam.

[Evan]

Natural gas mains are thin walled steel. They range from 6 to 20 inches.

[Andrew_D]

try an agricultural supply . the sizes you are asking about are common auger tube sizes .

That's what I was thinking too...I just used some 7" auger tubing. It was 7" ID, with about 3/32" (insert appropriate gauge number here) walls.

The larger 8-10" stuff would have bigger walls. Especially on the longer augers. I've seen 8" up to 50 feet long. 10" up to 70 feet. Takes a lot of strength to support grain in that tube!




Why not buy strip and have it rolled. Just weld the seam.

That's exactly how auger tubing is made! Well, at least at Westfield...I toured their plant here in Manitoba a few years back. They bring in rolls of steel. It comes off of the roll, runs flat for a bit, then the rollers start to form it into a tube. It took about 10-15 feet to roll it into a tube. Then 2 MIG guns weld 'er up. One on the outside (OK, that's normal...). One on the inside on a LOOOONG arm! It reaches in from the end where the rollers are about 3 feet and welds from the inside. The operator turns on the machine and runs out whatever length of tubing is needed for the next job. There were 5 sizes side-by-side (6, 7, 8, 10, 13 inch)...maybe 4 or 5" also??

Andrew

[Lew Hartswick]

How about a chunk of an old (not recertable) gas cylinder? They have
just made a big Gong out of one at school. cut the end off and hung it
from the valve end. If you cut both ends off it should be just about
what you said.
...Lew...

[winchman]

I'm in southwest Georgia, just above Tallahassee.

Thanks for the suggestions on possible places to look. There's a BIG ag-equipment salvage yard not far away in Pavo, Georgia.

The welding supply place owes me a couple favors for some small jobs I've done for them. I didn't know any of those type tanks had thin walls.

There's a boiler place not far away that might do rolling, so I'll check that out.

I was thinking of using our flat-stock bender to make rings, and then weld them together. That's a last ditch solution, though.

[winchman]

I just found this picture of a welding gas tank cut up.

http://i664.photobucket.com/albums/vv5/qvideo/DSC02182.jpg

The accompanying blurb said it was 3/8" wall, so that's too thick.

The acetylene tanks have thinner walls, but getting them safe to cut and dealing with the stuff in them may be a lot of trouble.

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d200/ptsideshow/Tools/acetylenecylinder.jpg

[fishfrnzy]

I work with a mill that makes those sizes and the large market for them is in the irrigation industry and in grain handling. Try an irrigation sprinkler fabrication dealer as best bet. You might find the walls to be a little lighter in your area sometimes down .109-,135 to keep the peices light. FYI, It also might be galvanized finish. Also if you have dust collection fabricators in your area you might try them.